Garage rock was a simple, raw form of rock and roll created by a number of American bands in the mid-1960s. Inspired by British Invasion bands like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Rolling Stones, these mostly midwestern American groups played a variation on British Invasion rock. (While the American midwest produced many of the best-known examples of garage rock, there were many bands in that style coming from the Pacific coast and Australia.)
The term "garage rock" comes from the perception that many such performers were usually young and amateurish, and often rehersed in a garage. These bands' music was often much cruder than their inspirations but was full of passion and energy. Most of the bands used simple chord progressions, pounding drums, and catchy lyrics. In many ways, the garage bands were the first bands in what would eventually be known as punk rock.
Hundreds of garage bands popped up around America and a handful of them — Shadows of Knight, The Count 5, The Seeds, The Standells — had hits, but most were destined for obscurity. In fact, nearly all of the bands were forgotten by the early 1970s, though the famous Nuggets compilation brought them back somewhat closer to the spotlight.
Heavy metal band Metallica often characterized themselves as a garage rock band; as far as naming two of their albums Garage Days Re-Revisited and Garage Inc.
Revivals
In the 1980s, there was a garage rock revival that saw a number of bands earnestly trying to replicate the sound, style, and look of the '60s garage bands; this trend fed in into the alternative rock movement and future grunge music explosion, which was partially inspired by garage rock from Seattle like The Sonics.
This movement died down at the end of the decade but there was another revival in the 2000s with bands like The White Stripes, The Hives, The Alleys and The Strokes owing more than a little to the style. This later revival received much mainstream attention and became one of the dominant forms of rock and roll through the early part of the decade.
Original 1960s and '70s garage bands
1980s, '90s, and 2000s garage revival bands
de:Garagenrock
ja:ガレージロック
